Spring is just around the corner and time is flying. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day and push off that long list of all the initiatives you set out to do this year. Other priorities come up and it’s hard to find the time. You don’t have to do it all alone though. There are things you can outsource to get those complex time-consuming projects completed. Outsourcing can be a way to get expert talent that can be flexible and efficient. It can allow you and your team to focus on the other priorities, while still knocking out the long list of initiatives for the year.
Human resources (HR) departments are being asked to do more and more in the post-pandemic world. They’re having to wear many different hats and sometimes you just need help. Here are some of the most common HR headaches that you can outsource.
- Employee Relations and Conflict Resolution: Managing conflicts, resolving disputes, and handling employee grievances require HR professionals to have strong interpersonal skills and the ability to mediate effectively. This can be very time-consuming, especially if you need to conduct investigations and write up formal reports. Check out our list of pros and cons of HR outsourcing here.
- Employee Engagement and Morale: Keeping employees motivated, engaged, and satisfied with their work is crucial for productivity and retention. HR often deals with issues related to low morale, absenteeism, and disengagement. According to Gallup, almost 70% of employees are feeling disengaged at work. Employee engagement surveys and focus groups could be a great way to identify the best areas of priority. You can then work with your outsourced partner to come up with an action plan for the next steps.
- Performance Management: Developing and implementing effective performance management systems, conducting fair evaluations, providing feedback, and addressing performance issues can be complex and time-consuming tasks for HR professionals. It’s easy to keep following the same process year after year. Employees are starting to demand more modern feedback approaches. When was the last time you evaluated your performance management process? Is it working? Is performance improving? Could it be better? More efficient? Modernized?
- Workplace Diversity and Inclusion: Promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) in the workplace requires ongoing efforts from HR to create inclusive policies, foster a culture of respect, and address bias and discrimination issues. Maybe you’ve started this journey and don’t know where to go next. Or maybe you don’t have the bandwidth on your team to lead the efforts of next steps. Maybe you have no idea where to start. Outsourcing can identify where you are in your journey and how to create bite-sized action plans.
- Compliance with Employment Laws and Regulations: Staying up-to-date with labor laws, regulations, and compliance requirements at local, state, and federal levels is essential to avoid legal risks and penalties. It feels like there are always changes coming. It’s especially hard when you have a multi-state employee model. Let the experts guide you through what you need to worry about and how to make sure you stay compliant.
- Training and Development: Providing opportunities for employee training, skill development, and career advancement is important for employee satisfaction and retention. HR may face challenges in identifying training needs, securing resources, and measuring the effectiveness of training programs. Employees are looking for more development opportunities. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Some solutions could be topic training for groups. Other solutions could be 1:1 or group coaching for developing or emerging leaders. Studies show a great return on investment for companies that have intentional development opportunities.
- Compensation Studies and Total Rewards: In this tight talent market, you want to make sure you’re staying competitive and evaluating the market for your existing team and new hires. Benefits are much more than just healthcare now. Employees are starting to look more at the whole package – total rewards. It’s not just about the base salary but also about the growth potential, flexibility in work location and hours, development opportunities, health & wellness initiatives, paid time off, and other perks. Outsourcing can give you access to what your competitors are doing, help you create or revise your total rewards philosophy to stand out and identify creative perks.
- Managing Change and Organizational Development: HR plays a key role in managing organizational change, whether due to mergers, restructuring, return to the office or technological advancements. This can involve communicating changes effectively, addressing employee concerns and facilitating transition processes. It’s hard to make sure you’re covering all different perspectives when there is a large change going on. Outsourcing can provide expertise in this area that ensures you’re covering all your bases and providing best practices.
- HR Technology and Data Management: Leveraging technology for HR processes such as payroll, benefits administration, and data analytics can improve efficiency and decision-making. However, managing HR systems, ensuring data accuracy, and addressing cybersecurity risks can be challenging for HR departments. This can be very time-consuming. Sometimes systems aren’t meeting the expectations of the users because the way they were originally set up no longer works for them. Sometimes systems no longer have the functionality required for the business. Whether it’s optimizing your existing system or evaluating a new one this is an area you should trust the experts to advise you on.
- Talent Acquisition and Retention: Finding and retaining skilled employees can be a significant challenge. This includes sourcing candidates, managing the recruitment process, and ensuring competitive compensation and benefits to retain top talent. Going through the efforts of posting, sourcing, screening, and managing the process can take a lot of time out of your day. You may not have access to job boards and a network of candidates. This may be an area to explore with a recruiting partner.
These are just a few examples of the common headaches that HR professionals can outsource, as a fraction or whole, to ensure annual goals are being achieved while keeping up with your priorities every day. If you’d like to schedule a complimentary consultation to see how Exude Human Capital can help you with any of these, please reach out.